This glossary provides definitions for key terms used throughout Carbon GPT and in the broader fields of carbon accounting, emissions management, and sustainability. Understanding these terms will help you navigate the platform more effectively and communicate more clearly about your sustainability initiatives.
A
Activity Data
Quantitative measure of an activity that results in GHG emissions (e.g., kilowatt-hours of electricity consumed, gallons of fuel used, or miles traveled).
Additionality
The principle that carbon offset projects must demonstrate that their emissions reductions would not have occurred in the absence of the project.
Allocation
The process of assigning emissions to specific activities, products, or business units within an organization.
B
Baseline
A reference point or scenario against which changes in GHG emissions are measured, typically representing emissions before implementing reduction measures.
Biogenic Carbon
Carbon derived from biological sources (plants and animals) as opposed to fossil sources.
Business Travel
A category of Scope 3 emissions that includes emissions from transportation used for business-related activities in vehicles not owned or operated by the reporting company.
C
Carbon Credit
A tradable certificate representing the right to emit one metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e).
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO₂e)
A metric measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases based on their global warming potential (GWP), using carbon dioxide as the reference gas.
Carbon Footprint
The total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event, or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent.
Carbon Intensity
The amount of carbon emissions per unit of another variable, such as GDP, revenue, or energy produced.
Carbon Neutral
Achieving net-zero carbon emissions by balancing carbon emissions with carbon removal or offsetting.
Carbon Offset
A reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made to compensate for emissions made elsewhere.
Carbon Sink
A natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores carbon-containing compounds for an indefinite period.
Climate Risk
Potential negative impacts of climate change on an organization, including physical risks and transition risks.
D
Decarbonization
The process of reducing carbon dioxide emissions through the use of low carbon power sources, achieving a lower output of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Direct Emissions
Emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the reporting entity (Scope 1).
Double Counting
When the same emission reduction or removal is counted more than once towards achieving climate targets.
E
Emission Factor
A coefficient that quantifies the emissions or removals of a gas per unit of activity.
Emissions Boundary
The scope of emissions included in a GHG inventory, defining which emissions sources are included and excluded.
Emissions Reduction
A decrease in the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
A set of standards for a company's operations that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments.
F
Fugitive Emissions
Unintentional releases of greenhouse gases from systems or processes, such as leaks from joints, seals, and gaskets.
G
Global Warming Potential (GWP)
A measure of how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere relative to carbon dioxide over a specific time period.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation, including carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆).
GHG Protocol
A comprehensive global standardized framework for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions from private and public sector operations, value chains, and mitigation actions.
I
Indirect Emissions
Emissions that are a consequence of the activities of the reporting entity but occur at sources owned or controlled by another entity (Scope 2 and Scope 3).
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.
Inventory
A quantified list of an organization's greenhouse gas emissions and sources.
L
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
A technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life, from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling.
Location-Based Method
A method to quantify Scope 2 emissions based on average energy generation emission factors for defined geographic locations, including local, subnational, or national boundaries.
M
Market-Based Method
A method to quantify Scope 2 emissions based on the emissions from the electricity that a company has purposefully chosen through contractual instruments.
Materiality
The principle that emissions sources that are significant to an organization should be included in its GHG inventory.
Methane (CH₄)
A potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 28-36 times that of CO₂ over a 100-year period.
N
Net-Zero Emissions
Achieving a balance between the greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere and those taken out.
Nitrous Oxide (N₂O)
A greenhouse gas with a global warming potential approximately 265-298 times that of CO₂ over a 100-year period.
O
Operational Boundary
The boundary that determines which emissions from operations are included in a GHG inventory.
Organizational Boundary
The boundary that determines which operations are included in a company's GHG inventory based on either an equity share or control approach.
P
Paris Agreement
An international treaty on climate change adopted in 2015, aiming to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
Primary Data
Data from specific activities within a company's value chain, collected directly from specific operations, processes, facilities, or suppliers.
Purchased Goods and Services
A category of Scope 3 emissions that includes all upstream emissions from the production of products purchased or acquired by the reporting company.
R
Renewable Energy
Energy from sources that are naturally replenishing but flow-limited, such as biomass, hydro, geothermal, solar, and wind.
Renewable Energy Certificate (REC)
A market-based instrument that represents the property rights to the environmental, social, and other non-power attributes of renewable electricity generation.
Reporting Period
The time period covered by a GHG inventory, typically one year.
S
Science-Based Target
A greenhouse gas emissions reduction target that is in line with what the latest climate science says is necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Scope 1 Emissions
Direct GHG emissions from sources owned or controlled by the reporting company.
Scope 2 Emissions
Indirect GHG emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating, or cooling consumed by the reporting company.
Scope 3 Emissions
All indirect emissions (not included in Scope 2) that occur in the value chain of the reporting company, including both upstream and downstream emissions.
Secondary Data
Data that is not directly collected from specific activities within a company's value chain but from other sources such as industry averages, proxy data, or other generic data.
Sequestration
The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide, often referring to the uptake of carbon dioxide by vegetation, soils, and oceans.
Supplier Engagement
The process of working with suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chain.
T
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
An organization that develops voluntary, consistent climate-related financial risk disclosures for use by companies in providing information to stakeholders.
Transition Risk
Risks related to the transition to a lower-carbon economy, including policy and legal risks, technology risk, market risk, and reputation risk.
U
Upstream Emissions
Emissions related to purchased or acquired goods and services, occurring before the reporting company's operations in the value chain.
V
Value Chain
The full range of activities that companies perform to bring a product or service from conception to delivery, including design, production, marketing, distribution, and support to the end user.
Verification
An independent assessment of the reliability, completeness, and accuracy of a GHG inventory.
Voluntary Carbon Market
A market where carbon credits are traded on a voluntary basis rather than to meet regulatory compliance obligations.